2. How do you like your steak?
I prefer medium-rare, but I’m not picky.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
I am not sure, actually.

4. What is your favorite TV show?
Friends (still), The Medium or House.   Sadly, I also get somewhat involved in The Bachelor/Bachelorette, when it’s on.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
England.   I love England.   

6. What did you have for breakfast?
Nothing yet

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Indian or Mexican

8. What foods do you dislike?
Brussels sprouts

9. Favorite Place to Eat?
Ian’s house

10. Favorite dressing?
Depends on the day, but honey mustard, cesar, blue cheese (rarely)

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive?
A Hyundai Sonata

12. What are your favorite clothes?
My winter sweaters (jumpers)

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
France

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
1/2 empty, at the moment 

15. Where would you want to retire?
Somewhere warm and lovely… Hawaii?

16. Favorite time of day?
The afternoon.  I am asleep for most other parts.

17. Where were you born?
Peoria, Illinois, USA

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
If I had to pick something, ice hockey.   I also don’t mind rugby.

19. Bird watcher?
Yes, I love birds.   One morning, I spent an hour on the Internet attempting to identify a bird singing in the tree, by listening to sound files.  It was a mourning dove.  

25. Any new and exciting news that you’d like to share?
I’m getting married sometime this year.   When, is a mystery, unfortunately, but I can’t wait! 

27. What is your best childhood memory?
Lying at the bottom of the slide, watching the clouds go by.

28. Are you a cat or dog person?
both

30. Always wear your seat belt?
Yes.

31. Been in a car accident?
Yes, unfortunately.   The last one almost totalled my car.  And, no, it wasn’t my fault (I was stopped at a red light and someone careened into me.)

32. Any pet peeves?
Mean people or people who refuse to make an effort to read.

33. Favorite pizza topping?
goat cheese and spinach

34. Favorite Flower?
Ranunculus or hydrangea

35. Favorite ice cream?
oatmeal cookie dough or anything at Ted and Wally’s

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Taco Bell, I guess.

37. How many times did you fail your driver’s test?
None.  I taught driver’s ed, too.

39. At which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
You mean, where I haven’t already?

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Don’t recall

I did last year and once this year.    You feel like you spend ages flying, when it’s international    So worth it, though.

42. Broccoli?
I like broccoli, yes.

43. What was your favorite holiday?
Going to England and spending it with Ian and his family/friends.   We went to a pub to listen to live music.  Have not done that in ages.

44. Last person you went out to dinner with?
My daughter

45. What are you listening to right now?
Nintendo DS

46. What is your favorite color?
Green

47. How many tattoos do you have?
None at all.  Probably never will.

49. What time did you finish this quiz?
I’m guessing 6:23am

50. Coffee Drinker?
Yes, I drink coffee most days… at least 2 or 3 cups of it.

I won’t get into the woes of my week.   It’s been awful in many ways, but as bad as things get, I try to remember they can always be worse.   I have a roof over my head, food in the kitchen, my lovely daughter and my wonderful fiance.   Oh, and two silly dogs who always want loads (and loads) of attention.

Thank you to all the people who have been letting me unload on them during the week, and providing good advice.

So, I found this article about making the magic last if you’ve found the right guy.   Excellent tips in there.   Things like this remind me that while immigration seems to take FOREVER, still, I will end up with the love of my life in the end.   Thank God.    

Sidenote: Do you know the longest-married couple in England have been married for 81 years?

I totally understand what some of my friends have been saying about them “feeling normal for a bit” when everything seems to be going right.    I grab tightly onto any opportunity to “feel normal” during the day, because, let’s face it, there’s plenty of opportunity to be sitting around in despair.    It’s being lucky enough to *not have to* that makes the difference sometimes.   And then, sometimes, it’s not bad at all to sit around in despair, as long as you get a good cry out of it.

Speaking of which, I wish Hillary Clinton could see her way straight to getting her people to push our visa application out the door.   Thanks so much, in advance.

TLK is sick today.   I think it’s something minor, like sinus drainage, but given the fact she vomited a few times (sorry), I though staying home would be a good idea.    She said she felt better after getting sick, so I guess that’s good.

I’ve been up since 4, and so being tired at 11:20 am is ok, right?

I’ve been carefully avoiding visiting The Frustrating Place (the visa website) so as to avoid frustration.   It’s working.  Somewhat.   We’ve been stuck at the National Visa Center for 3 weeks, when most people are only there for a day or two.    They must enjoy my daily phone calls and emails.     We’re sure they won’t be too much longer, though.

I’m glad to at least have a day off work.  Sometimes it seems like 5 days in a row is a bit too much.  I would have managed, of course.   It comes along with a paycheck.

Not too much news otherwise.

Thinking about a nap, really.

What are you up to this weekend?

I’ve been involved in Project 2996 since it started in 2006.  You can be involved, too, by signing up here.

The project involves researching a person who died in the attacks, and posting a memorial on your blog or website.    The memorial can be a synopsis of that person’s life, which you can usually research (thanks to Google), a poem, a virtual candle… anything to show someone remembers.

Volunteers are short in number.    Some of the existing volunteers are volunteering to post as many memorials as needed to make up the difference.

Here’s a letter I just received in my inbox, which explains more thoroughly:

September 11, 2009 is only four weeks away and there is much work to be done. Thank you for volunteering to remember someone lost eight years ago on that horrible day. Please check the “2009 Participants” tab and make sure your information is accurate. Specific names have been assigned where requested. If you find a mistake please e-mail us, and I will make the correction.

Our list of volunteers is still short and I need more help—a lot more help—I need your help. I ask you to spread the word and encourage your family and friends to participate. I also ask you to post a link on your blog, LinkedIn, or MySpace, and wherever else you spend your time online. You can become a Fan on Facebook. Here is a link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Project-2996/50909055828?ref=mf.  Make it a point to send out a Twitter or two and ask for volunteers. Really, if you have any ideas that will help spread the word—go to it.

The question always comes up- How do I write a remembrance on someone I never knew. The best place to start is by doing a Google search on the person you have been assigned. Gather information from the various articles written and write from your heart.  Here are a few links to get you started:

http://www.post-gazette.com/

http://www.9-11heroes.us/

http://www.legacy.com/NS/

Sadly, there are a number of people we lost that dreadful day that have no information. This is your opportunity to make sure we all remember him or her. Write a poem, leave a candle, write a note to let the world know we did not forget. For ideas and to see the wide variety of remembrances, you can look at the tributes from 2008 here: http://project2996.wordpress.com/2008-list-of-tributes/.

Once you have written your tribute, please e-mail me right away. I will then put a link to your post on the “2009 Participants” tab. The sooner you get your post to me the better. The effort to get 2996 volunteers is tremendous, getting 2996 links up is just as challenging. If you want to contribute a post but do not have a blog or website, we will be providing a blog for you as well. Information will be forthcoming.

To Summarize:

1. Check to make sure I have your information correct—mainly the link.. http://project2996.wordpress.com/2009-participants/ If you do not have your own blog, website, etc, let us know.

2. Research the person you have been assigned.

3. Write your remembrance.

4. E-mail me at dcroe05 at yahoo.com Project 2996 with the link. (If you post early, make it a sticky post or remember to redate it again so that it will be up on 9/11.  Remember, the goal is to have positive memories of those we lost, everywhere on the web on 9/11.

5. Project 2,996 will put a link on the 2009 Participants Tab.

Again, I want to thank you for volunteering to be part of this important remembrance. I believe you will find yourself touched and moved in ways you did not expect once you start researching the person behind the name you have been assigned.

Thank You,

Dale C. Roe

I have decided to give up frustrating IT work and do some other work instead:

Spring and Summer:   Picking flowers

Winter:  Making snowballs

Ian has said he can help to support me in that sort of lifestyle; one befitting of a migrant worker.

“Maybe we can eat the flowers,” he said.

“And the snowballs,” I offered.

Her: “Well, I’m not a supermodel, either.”

Him: “YES you are!   You’re beautiful.”

Her feels all warm and fuzzy inside.